Chopped
by Haruhiryu
Summary: Robin, a working mother of one, has always been plagued by nightmares. Most had occurred in her youth, but they still troubled her, even into her early thirties. One night she awakes to a…well, it wasn't a nightmare, but she didn't think it to be a very pleasant dream either. Join her husband as she retells her tale, one early morning. (Linked to Chopped TV series)
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:**

 **Dear readers,**

 **Good morning/afternoon/evening! Here is 7/14's update. Tomorrow's update will be part 4 of "When you give a..."**

 **So...cause I'm running low on stock, I'm using a story I wasn't planning on putting up yet, being I wanted to put it up all at once as a one-shot...however, that will not be. Because of the length, or planned length, the story will definitely not be finished by the end of July.**

 **Being that this story is linked to Chopped (cooking show), I would like people's input on ingredients that should be used in the baskets. I need 12...no 11 (I already have the meat for the entree round), so please give your opinions!**

 **Also...another sad thing...I got If/Fates...so guess where my life is going... I will do my best to finish this month strong though!**

 **...Sorry for the rambling...**

 **I hope you enjoy today's reading? Kudos and comments appreciated!**

 **I do not own or have the rights to Fire Emblem Awakening or any of the characters. I do not own Chopped, or have any rights to the Food Network series.  
**

* * *

 _Early morning, but it was a few hours before the sun would rise; Robin was sitting straight up in bed, breathing heavily. She didn't want to wake up, but she had. The dream wasn't bad, like the one's she had in her younger years, and intermittently now, but it had been…strange. Still, the dream hadn't finished, and she wanted to know how it ended. Would she ever find out? Probably not; when you wake up from a dream, it's not like leaving a movie on pause, or putting a bookmark to save your place. When a dream ends, it ends._

 _"Love, are you well?" Jumping out of her stupor, she noticed a warm hand on her thigh, and turned to see her husband looking at her. He was obviously groggy, but awake. Robin nodded. "One of **those** dreams again?" His hand gently rubbed her leg; similar to the movements when he rubbed her back after each nightmare._

 _They had known each other for thirteen years, been together for nine, and married for six. He had seen several episodes, the first within only a few months of dating. The moment she realized where she was, what was happening, it frightened her; not like the ominous dreams she always lived with, but the fact that another relationship would end because she was "crazy." But no, it didn't end; he stayed, he comforted, he listened. He was with her almost every episode following, reassuring her, giving her peace. Gladly, tonight was not one of those nights._

 _"No, not one of **those** dreams. I think it was the same, or a similar, world, but I wouldn't call it scary. It was just…strange."_

 _Humming, he dragged himself closer, kissing her thigh, then finding a way to get his head on her lap. He wouldn't admit it, but that was one of his favorite views of her; seeing his lovely wife's smile from above, like a white-haired angel. "Care to share?"_

 _"Well, it starts…"_

ooo

"Mother!" Robin turned, seeing a teenage boy. "There you are! I was beginning to think we got separated." She stared at him. Yes, she had no memory of anything before two years prior, and maybe it was possible to have a son this age, assuming she was actually around thirty, and the years had been exceedingly good to her, but that didn't seem right. "Well, no harm done." He didn't seem to realize how lost to the conversation she was. "At least we can head home now. ...Goodness, the air here agrees with you! You look a decade younger, at least." He smiled warmly. The boy looked a bit like her; rounder face, the shape of his eyes, but…yes! That was it! His hair color, some hard to notice facial features, and a few of his expressions; they were her fiancée's. Of course, no one knew that they were engaged, being that she wanted to focus on her career before settling down, and the Valmese war started before they could formally announce their engagement; however, they were together. …So this was their child from the future.

"Did…did you travel back from the future with Lucina?"

ooo

 _"…Time travel?"_

 _"Yes, time travel." Robin looked down at her lover's dark eyes._

 _"Time travel in a medieval-like setting?"_

 _"Is there a problem with that?"_

 _"No, it's just…different."_

 _"I told you, it wasn't one of **those** dreams."_

 _"And you have a fiancée as well?"_

 _"Jealous are we?" A smirk on her lips._

 _"I'm not." She stared at him with her all-knowing eyes. "…Well, maybe a little."_

 _"Getting jealous at yourself is cute, love."_

 _"So, you'll marry me, even in your dreams then?" He smiled roguishly at her, making the platinum whack him on the chest, albeit playfully._

 _"And what if I did?"_

 _He didn't answer, instead he stared at his wife's charming face. A soft smile, dark brown eyes, lovely silver hair framing her face. If he stared long enough, he knew that she would start blushing, which was extremely enchanting; however, if that happened, he would lose all sense of composure, so he continued the conversation. "Chrom's Lucina was there too?" The platinum nodded. "His seven year old daughter?"_

 _"No, she's a young adult in this dream. Maybe a little older than the boy I just mentioned."_

 _"Was the boy Morgan?"_

 _"I'm getting to that part. Don't jump ahead of the story." Robin pokes his forehead, making the man smile. "It's so unlike you to be impatient; your interruptions are odd as well."_

 _"This dream is different, more positive than your usual ones." Noticing Robin's frown, he kissed her stomach, looking at his wife remorsefully. "…I didn't mean it like that."_

 _"…I know."_

 _"So, was that Morgan?"_

 _"Yes…" She sighed, giving in to her husband's unusual amount of curiosity. She started playing with his tousled hair, although, in his defense, things were a little "frenzied" earlier._

 _"A teenager, huh? Gladly we're years from that." He chuckled in her lap. Their son was only five years old. Although a handful, he wasn't as troublesome as some of their friend's children, like Chrom's younger daughter, Cynthia, or Lissa's Owain._

 _She hummed in agreement. "May I continue my dream now?"_

 _"I'm all ears."_

ooo

"Huh? Who's Lucina?" The boy's face looked at the platinum in confusion. "And did you seriously just ask me if I came from the future?" He finally perceived Robin's confused look. "...Why are you looking at me like that? Hello? It's me! Morgan!" He looked sad, worried, confused. He had taken the platinum's hands, staring straight into her eyes. The boy invaded her personal space quite easily, but she didn't mind for some reason; it felt familiar and almost normal. "...Your son? Love of your life and strapping young lad and all that?" He chuckled, trying to ease the tension. "Wow, you're really acting strange today. Let's go home and get you to bed." He took her hand and started leading her away. "Hmm, but which way is home?" He cocked his head. "Is it— Ngh! M-my head!" The boy curled, grabbing his head, obviously in pain.

"Easy—" Robin caught him before he fell, steadying him. "Don't try to force it! Just stay calm and listen to me. I know this sounds mad, but I believe that you came here from the future."

"Are…are you out of your mind? …That's not even possible!" The stare he returned, the "are you stupid?" stare, a signature of his father's, was being directed at her; something she hadn't received for several years.

"Actually, it is. Think about it. You said I looked younger, but look again. Closely. Do I look like I'm of an age where I could have a child as old as you?" He stared, cocking his head, trying to piece everything together. "At this point in time, in OUR time, you still haven't been born. In truth, we haven't even married."

"Y-you do look younger, but..." He swallowed, looking for something, anything that would prove he wasn't in the past; that this **was** his mother.

"It's hard, I know. And you don't have to believe me right this minute." She softly tussled the boy's hair; the thickness, fullness, and coarseness matching her lover's to the T. "But you must come with me. It's dangerous alone, especially if your memory is gone. I was in the same position once, you know. If Chrom, a very good friend of mine, hadn't found me lying in that field, who knows what would've happened to me..."

"Wait, you woke up in the middle of a field, too? Hah! Like mother, like son, huh? Oh, that's too funny!" Morgan smiled brightly, as if the previous conversation was forgotten.

"...Glad to see you inherited my blithe outlook. Just try to stay close will you?" She turned and started heading to the main group who were further ahead.

"Yes, ma'am!" He saluted, grin still on his face.

The platinum stopped, turning to her newly found son. She stared at him, looking over his outfit. "I think we need to do something about your class…"

"My class?" He stopped. It was odd to have a son, but what was more disturbing was the fact that he was already taller than her. Even though that made her happy, since he obviously got his father's height, it still bothered her…just a bit. "I like my class!" A pout crossed his handsome face. Staring at it longer, the more minute features of her lover became obvious.

"Still…at this point in time, no one knows about me and your father. Taking his class, seeing your hair color, everyone will find out."

"Is that really a bad thing? …Unless Father is forcing you into this!"

"No, no one's forcing me to do anything. We decided this together. We…I…I'm the tactician to Chrom's army. Having people know that I'm romantically involved with someone could make them lose their trust in me, in my skills. They might think me distracted with my beau; not giving a hundred and ten percent to this army. I can't have that happening, especially in the middle of a new campaign."

"You love Father though, right?"

"Of course I do! I may not wear his ring on my finger, but I carry it with me, always." The tactician pulled out a ring, hung on a silver chain. He stared at it and smiled, although the carefree look quickly turned into a meek one.

"Later then, maybe not today, but soon, will you introduce me to him?"

"Of course! I'm sure you'll know him when you meet the army. Even if you have no memories now, I'm sure, somewhere in that brain of yours, you'll be able to recognize him. As for your father, I'm sure he'll realize you're his son when he sees you. He might not be able to show it openly for a time, but I know he'll do everything he can to make you comfortable!"

"…Thanks, Mom." He embraced her, catching the platinum off-guard, but she returned the hug.

"Now, then," Robin smiled, letting go of the embrace to search her pockets. "How about a class change? Like a Tactician! You like hoods, right?" She held a blue and silver orb up to her son; a Second Seal which she was saving for a special occasion, and this was definitely special, wasn't it?

ooo

 _"So, we have an illicit romance, do we, Robin?" They had changed positions, his lovely wife lay on him, her legs wrapped around his torso, her hands and head on his chest. She stared at him in mock shock, even though she had long since lost her "innocence."_

 _"I suppose you could see it like that…" She trailed, a similar action to what her fingers were doing across his chest._

 _"Was that all?"_

 _"If it was, I wouldn't be left wondering…"_

ooo

"This is your son! You're joking, right, Bubbles?" Gaius stared into the boy's brown eyes, trying to see into the hood. Morgan stared back, unperturbed by all the attention he was receiving.

"No, I'm not, Gaius. Morgan is my son. I'm certain."

"But…but you're not dating, or seeing anyone, are you, Robin?"

"Who knows, Olivia. A woman needs her secrets." The tactician gave a wink and a whimsical smile. Was she joking or serious? No one could tell, other than Robin herself. The tactician, who knew everything about the camp and its inhabitants, still, sometimes, remained an anomaly to even her closes comrades. Maybe Chrom could tell, but he seemed to not care.

"He takes after you, doesn't he, Robin? A Tactician…an army can always use another swift thinker." The lord smiled, looking over the young man.

"How are your skills with weapons?" Morgan turned, seeing a heavily clad knight standing next to him; Frederick, if he remembered correctly. The look he gave, although strict, also carried a gleam of curiosity, albeit a bit of wariness as well. The brunet eyed his Steel Sword, but made no comment to the Thunder tome he held.

"I'm proficient with magic, sir, but I definitely prefer more physical fights." He slightly raised the sword-in-scabbard at his hip. "I enjoy swordplay, but I'm not a one-trick pony."

The knight sized up the young man, then shrugged. "You seem competent enough, at the very least."

"Yah! So maybe the Teach can teach ya something, little man." The blond had his arm around Morgan, grinning. In turn, the young man reciprocated a smile.

"Hold your horses, Vaike! We have another dilemma to deal with, namely who Morgan's father is!" Lissa stomped, staring at the shirtless goof.

"Maybe we could tell if he removed his hood. His hair color could be different than Robin's."

"The Vaike can do it, Stahl, my man!" The blond started reaching for the hood, then stopped, realizing a sword was at his neck.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you, Teach." Although Morgan remained smiling, it sent a chill up the blonde's back. Where had he seen that look before?

"Now, now, you two," Robin giggled, separating the men. "Don't cause trouble, love." She patted her son's hand.

"…Yes, Mother." The boy re-sheathed his sword.

"Anyway, Morgan becomes very shy when you remove his hood, so I ask that you leave him be." The boy nodded vigorously. Although most knew she was bluffing, they didn't want to face the tactician's wrath.

"Do you remember your father, Morgan?"

"Ricken, was it?" The mage nodded. "Sorry to say, but I only remember Mother, nothing about my Father or the future that I supposedly come from. I just remember spending time with Mother, like studying tactics or being read stories."

"Lucina, do you know anything?" Sumia linked her arms with her daughter, who stood at the edge of the group. Although no eyes turned, ears perked around the mother-daughter conversation.

"I'm sorry to say I don't, Mother. Robin never married in my timeline, so I have no clue to who Morgan's father could be."

"Let's skip ahead in this, Bubbles. Just say who you like, and I'm sure they'll marry ya on the spot, isn't that right, Junior?" The ginger looped his arm around the boy's neck. The Thief so wanted to pull the boy's hood off, but he felt Robin's "I will kill you" stare, as well as another coming from nearby.

"The Teach would totally marry ya, if ya asked Robin." Once again, a bronzed arm slung itself over the boy.

"Definitely, Robin!" The young mage stood in front of the tactician, obviously excited.

"Myself as well, milady." The green haired knight added, to Robin's left.

The four men in front of her started arguing, causing laughter to come from various other Shepherds, but a groan from Robin.

"Never realized you were so popular, Robin." Chrom chuckled, his arm on her shoulder.

"Yah, yah." She waved the cobalt off, then almost came crashing down. Gladly, Chrom caught her, but there was no thanks for a certain Dark Mage.

"I will **not** let anyone else have you…" The tactician heard a hiss in her ear; Tharja clung to the back of her coat.

"She can marry who she likes, Tharja."

"You stay out of this, Chrom. This is between me and any man, woman, or thing who gets in the way of…our love."

"Do I really not have a say who I get to marry?" Arguments continue and wagers on who the Shepherd's tactician marries start. "…I guess not, then."

"Why not have a contest, Robin?" The noise of the Shepherds subsides, heads turning to the red head who spoke. "Like, maybe, a cooking contest; winner marries Robin."

"The Vaike's in!"

"Ditto."

"Me too!"

"Don't forget me!"

"Really now, don't I get a say?"

"Well, if you really don't want to marry these strapping young lads, why don't we change it to a date? After all, they say the way to a person's heart is through food." The merchant winked at Robin.

"…I really rather not."

"Just go with it, Robin. Anyway, I'm curious about Morgan's father as well."

"Seriously, Chrom?"

"Well, this is one of the first secrets you've kept from me, since you obviously know who his dad is. Anyway, knowing our group, we won't refocus until this 'mystery' is solved."

The platinum thought it over for a several seconds, but she finally sighed. "Fine, fine. Let's just get this over with."

The red head smiled. "I happen to know the perfect venue for this challenge. Let's head to the Outrealm!"


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:**

 **Dear readers,**

 **Good morning/afternoon/evening again! I know it's early, but here is 7/16's update; since I don't think I'll have access to my comp tomorrow, here ya go! 7/17, if I get my comp back, will be "Happy Birthday."**

 **I hope you enjoy today's reading. Comments appreciated!**

 **I do not own or have the rights to Fire Emblem Awakening or any of the characters.**

* * *

 _"The Outrealm? What is that?" Her husband's fingers were lightly playing with her hair, braiding them nimbly; he already had a few finished strands._

 _Robin scrunched her face in thought, then shrugged. "I don't know. The scene just changes."_

 _"You don't know?" He raised an eyebrow._

 _"It's a dream, love!" She slapped his chest. "Do your dreams happen like it would in life? It's like a scene skip in a story or a movie. Anyway, dreams rarely make sense."_

 _He hummed, not wanting to rile up his wife more. "What happens next?"_

 _"Well…"_

ooo

"Here we are, in this arena for cooking! These ladies and gents are vying for a date with the lovely Robin, Grandmaster and tactician to Ylisse." Robin waved at the camera that zoomed in on her, forced smile on her face. Anna, or a relative of hers, one could never tell, was standing in a red suit, smiling and facing a different camera. "Our competitors must use the ingredients in these mystery baskets and satisfy our judge's palates, or they will be CHOPPED!" Anna swung a cleaver into a cutting board, adding extra emphasis. The audience cheered.

ooo

 _"…It turned into a cooking competition."_

 _"…Yes."_

 _"…Just for a date with you."_

 _"…Yes…" He felt the heat on her cheeks as she tried to bury her head into his chest._

 _"I think you've been watching too many cooking shows, love."_

 _Her reddened face glared back at him, cheeks puffed in a sulk. "You like them too! You yelled at the TV when your favorite chef, for that episode, lost in the dessert stage."_

 _"Of course! His appetizer and entrée were both superior to the competitor's! He made a soufflé and lost to a pain perdu!"_

 _"In all fairness to the other chef, your favorite's soufflé failed."_

 _"That doesn't matter! Anyone can make pain perdu! The chef took his chances and made a soufflé, yet he lost to some subpar cook! Pain perdu isn't even a dessert! It's breakfast! BREAK! FAST!"_

 _"Well Mr. Know-It-All, what would you have made with jalapenos, chocolate milk, cherries, and a caramel apple?"_

 _He thought for a bit, then replied, "A chocolate jalapeno cake with cherry compote, drizzled with caramel. Then, on the side, some pickled apple."_

 _She clicked her tongue, then squished his cheeks. "Don't get cheeky, dear."_

 _He gave his usual smile, softly pressing her cheeks together as well. He stared, she glared, but after some time, she started laughing, which led him to chuckle as well._

ooo

"However, because we have too many entrants, we'll start with an audition. Each contestant must make a dish focused around a mystery ingredient chosen by our head judge, Robin. The four with the highest scores will move onto the actual challenge. Head judge, the mystery ingredient, if you please."

Robin looked at the contestants, surprised at how many Shepherds were in the competition; there was Sully, Stahl, Vaike, Donnel, Kellam, Ricken, Gaius, Gregor, Tharja, and her son. "The mystery ingredient I chose is common, yet extremely versatile. However, it's rare that this item to be the prominent food on the plate. My mystery ingredient is…the egg!"

ooo

 _"An…egg?"_

 _"An egg."_

 _"You chose an egg?"_

 _"I didn't choose it! My dream-self did." He stared at her, dumbfounded. "Stop it!" She grabbed her pillow, whacking him in the face. She held it over him, so she couldn't see his "are you stupid?" look, but it wasn't to the point of suffocation._

 _A barely audible mumble came from underneath. "An egg…"_

ooo

Baskets of eggs were being placed at each cooking station. When that was finished, the host continued talking. "Now then, contestants. You will have an hour to prepare your dish. Once time is up, you must stop cooking. You may serve at any time; however, once you receive your score, you cannot remake or change your dish." The contestants nodded. "Very well! Get ready! …Three! …Two! …One! START!" A mad rush was made to the pantry.

"Now then, it's time to introduce our judges! First up…"

"What's Morgan doing?"

Anna stopped, looking at the person who spoke, glaring. "Did you have something to say, Miss Olivia?"

Realizing attention was on her, Olivia squeaked, blushing horribly and shaking her head.

"She asked, 'What's Morgan doing?'" Eyes turned to the dancer's right. Frederick, then the other judges and Anna, stared at the young Tactician. Unlike his competitors, he stood in his cooking space; arms crossed, shoulders hunched, eyes closed in thought.

"He looks like Robin, when she's analyzing." Chrom sat on Robin's right, elbow on the table, his cheek resting in his palm. The boy then stood straight up, gleam in his eyes, rushing over to the pantry. At this time, most of his competitors were already making their way back to their stations.

"I-I don't look like that when I'm planning…do I?"

"You kind of do, Robin."

"A-a bit…"

"Almost all the time when you readjust your strategy on the battlefield."

"…Damn."

"NOW THEN!" Shocking the judges, they turned to Anna. "We will introduce our judges. The first is the elegant butterfly of Ylisse, daughter of Lord Chrom and Lady Sumia. She comes from the future, to alter the events of today. Some of you in Feroxi may know her as Marth, but let us introduce you to Lady Lucina!"

The blue-haired princess, on her father's right, nodded. "I'm not an expert in the kitchen, but I will do my best to judge these dishes accordingly." Following the female lord's statement, some loud whoops and applause echoed throughout the kitchen.

"…Chrom, how did Anna know that Lucina is from the future?"

The cobalt shrugged and whispered a reply. "Best not to think too hard, Robin."

"Next up is the leader of Ylisse and the Shepherds! He defeated Plegia's Mad King Gangrel two years ago! Now leading Ylissean and Feroxi troops to stop the Valmese from invading their continent, let us welcome the current Exalt…"

"I'm not the Exalt."

"Lord," Anna's smile twitched. "Chrom!"

"Like my daughter, I'm not skilled in the kitchen; however, I will do my best to judge my men. As well, I am grateful for this opportunity." He then gave the camera his usual princely, charming smile.

ooo

 _"Chrom…as a…cooking judge?"_

 _"Yes."_

 _"And he's a ruler?"_

 _"He is, yes."_

 _"That…doesn't sound right."_

 _"I can't believe what I'm hearing! You're talking badly about our boss and friend, love. Is the world coming to an end?" Mock shock on her face._

 _"…I will concede, that maybe…maybe…he could be a ruler, being that, yes, he's the boss of our company, well respected by our co-workers, and he's doing well enough in the position; but a cooking judge? He's had fine food all his life and still doesn't know the difference between a pie and a tart; a squab and a chicken; wine and liquor!"_

 _"I think he knows the difference between the last one, dear."_

 _"He doesn't even know what couscous is, and he's eaten it several times. Luckily for chefs, he eats what you put in front of him, since he's not picky, but sometimes it's unforgiveable! Did you see him eating that orange the other day? Did you know it still had the peel on! The! Peel! I wanted to rip the thing out of his hands and peel it for him."_

 _"…I'm guessing this has been bubbling in you for a while, love." She rubbed his chest, trying to soothe her husband._

 _"He always eats his oranges like that…He even ate a lemon, peel on, then asked, 'Why is this orange so sour?'"_

 _"…You're joking. That must have been when he was younger, right?" Silence. "R-right?"_

 _"…That was two years ago."_

 _"Let's hope we never have to rely on Chrom's palate to save the world…"_

 _"Why won't that lazy man peel his own orange!"_

 _"Calm down, love."_

ooo

"Next we have our head judge. A mysterious young woman, with no known past. Found in a field, she showed her tactical prowess, soon becoming the tactician for the country of Ylisse. She formulated the plans for the campaign against the Mad King, and is now readying to tackle the terror of Valm, let us introduce Grandmaster Robin."

"In truth, I'm not happy to be here." She grimaced at the camera. "However, since we are, I'm curious to see my comrade's cooking techniques and I hope you all can appease my appetite. The fondest luck to all of you…most of you will need it." She ended the speech with a smile, although it was a bit sinister. Although the audience applauded, there seemed to be some apprehension due to her last statement.

"Our fourth judge is a powerhouse on, and off, the battlefield. Lieutenant to the Shepherds; he has personally served House Ylisse for over twenty years. Not only a master with sword, lance, and axe; this man's perfectionism extends to daily tasks including cooking, cleaning, and keeping order in the army. Let us welcome the Great Knight, Sir Frederick."

"I am honored to have been chosen as a judge for this competition. I expect the highest quality out of all of you. I do **not** wish to be disappointed."

"Sir!" Echoed several voices, coming from their cooking stations.

"Very good."

"Finally we have a well-known dancer, from the Feroxi courts. Known to strengthen morale on the battlefield through her dancing, for men and women alike, this lovely lady entered the Shepherds just before the end of the Plegian War. Unbeknownst to the dancer, she has a secret fan club throughout the world; let us welcome Lady Olivia!" With the final judge, the arena erupted. Although the applause was loud, some "whoops" and whistles could be heard above the clapping.

"I-I have a fan club?" Her face crimson, she hid herself in her hands.

"Yes. Khan Basilio seems to have created it. He told the Shepherds about it, soon after you joined. Quite a few men became fans; I think Robin, Maribelle, Sumia, and Lady Lissa also became members."

"D-don't tell Olivia that!" Robin started hitting the knight's armor with her Elwind, making the brunet chuckle.

"THIS IS SO EMBARRASING!"

"Do you have anything, about the cooking contest, to say, Miss Olivia?"

She removed her hands, face still glowing; however she straightened herself and spoke clearly, like a practiced performer. "I'm honored to be here. Please treat me well." With that, she shrank again, face hidden in her hands.

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **If you don't know...pain perdu is also known as French toast. I do like it...but is that really a dessert? I don't think so...**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:**

 **Dear readers,**

 **Good morning/afternoon/evening! I'm sorry for such a huge delay...I only recently got my computer back from my friend who was fixing it for me. As you can guess, no comp means no writing; as well, no comp means no posting. Until I catch up, or have no more stories to post (no stock), I will post two stories a night.**

 **Here is the belated 7/19's update. The belated 7/20 update will be an one-shot, which will be up by tonight.**

 **From here, Chopped will be on hiatus, since I currently don't have enough to post at the moment. The ideas are there...just not in writing yet. I'm not sure when it will return.**

 **I hope you enjoy today's reading. Comments appreciated!**

 **I do not own or have the rights to Fire Emblem Awakening or any of the characters. I do not own Chopped, or have any rights to the Food Network series.**

* * *

"Let's take a look at our contestants, shall we? Let's go in order, first up is Sully! Judges, what is she doing?"

"…It's a vat." Lucina stared, face blank. The unknown liquid was a deep, dark gray; rarely a color you would see in nature.

"…A bubbling, vat." Chrom's face echoed the rest of table, excluding Robin, whose eyes were on her son, and Frederick's, whose face remained as professional as ever.

"What's in the vat, judges?"

"…I don't want to know."

"…We'll leave it at that, then. Next up is…"

"Frederick!" The faces turned to Robin, who started tapping the knight with her tome.

"Yes." He responded in a monotone voice, with his infamous smile.

"What's Morgan doing?" They turned to the younger tactician, who was chopping vegetables. Next to him sat a whole chicken. When finished, he took a slab of butter, dumping that and the vegetables into a pot.

"I believe he's making a mirepoix, which is a combination of carrots, onions, and celery. There are other vegetable combinations, but the mirepoix is the most common."

"What do you think his plan is, Sir-?" Before Anna could finish, they heard a scream coming from the audience; Morgan was prepping the chicken, with a cleaver spinning in the air above him.

"Morgan!" Robin tried to get out of her seat, setting herself to hit down the knife with a blast of Elwind, but she knew it wouldn't make it in time.

"Calm down, Mother." By now, the whole arena was focused on the boy. Morgan had a relaxed smile on his face, even as the utensil came falling. He dodged within a fraction of a second, catching the cleaver by the handle. His smile switched to something quite familiar; a look they all saw before, but couldn't place. He then swung the cleaver down several times, cleanly chopping the chicken. When he finished, the pieces were placed in an oiled pan, cooking them until brown. The arena was silent, until Gaius whistled, and the audience, with a few contestants and judges, clapped. Morgan did a slight bow, but promptly continued with his work. Slowly the kitchen bustle started again.

"Chrom! Chrom! Did you see!" Robin violently tugged the lord's cape, causing him to shake. "My son can cook!" The excitement and pride was obvious on the tactician's face.

"I'm not sure you can call that cooking, Robin." However, by then, the platinum was bothering her left side, singing the same praises. "That was amazing knife techniques, though."

"Father?"

"Yes, Lucina?"

"Did something seem familiar to you, especially the expression Morgan had when whacking the chicken into chunks?"

"You felt it too, then. I can't place it…"

"It did feel familiar, didn't it?" The two lords turned to see the dancer, also in thought. "Like we see that expression every day."

"Can either of you place it, Robin? Frederick?"

"I'm not sure I know what you're talking about, Chrom."

"Neither do I, milord."

"Really? Two of our most observant Shepherds-" They heard a cough behind them. "…Is something the matter, Anna?"

"We're in a cooking competition, Lord Chrom, not a gossip party."

"We're not-!"

"To answer the question you were asking before, Anna," Frederick cut in, his professional demeanor returning. "Morgan seems to be making a stock or a base. See, after browning the chicken, he placed it into the pot with the vegetables."

"I wonder, though, to get the maximum flavor," Eyes turned to the dancer, one of the Shepherds who almost always helped in the mess tents. "Will there be enough time? Stocks take hours to make, successfully, yet Morgan has less than one."

"He did use pre-made chicken stock, which will give some flavor."

"I believe he also threw in a bundle of herbs. What, I couldn't tell from here, but that should help develop some flavor."

"Is he making a soup, then?" Lucina looked at the opposing side, while Chrom sat there puzzled, but trying to act as if he understood where the conversation was going.

"It's possible," Robin cocked her head, "But that doesn't seem right, being that he seems to be slicing salad greens and frying bacon."

"A salad, maybe?" Olivia offered.

"A salad with a soup broth?" Frederick remained staring.

"A dressing perhaps?"

"I've never heard of such, Lady Lucina."

"Well," They turned to Anna. "Fifteen minutes have passed, and you've only analyzed two dishes. Can we move on?"

"…I-I'm sorry. After Morgan's performance, I stopped paying attention to the others."

"…Myself included. Father?"

"Don't ask me, Lucina. I still don't really get what's happening, other than there are nice smells coming from some of the stations."

"Frederick? Robin? Do either of you have anything to say?" Anna looked at the middle chairs. Although the red head's face didn't show it, she worried that the show was going awry.

They looked at each other. "You've been paying attention a bit, right?"

"I have. You?"

"Enough, I guess." Robin cracked her neck, thinking. "How about we do a speed explanation. We'll go through each contestant, and explain what they did these past fifteen minutes."

"Fair enough. Should I start?"

"I can." The tactician took a sip of water, then a deep breath. "We'll start with Stahl and Gaius, since theirs are the most similar. Stahl is going with a quiche. He's using several vegetables including spinach, onions, and mushrooms, along with bacon. Currently, he's sautéing everything, and I assume he'll place it in the pie shell once finished, covered with cheese and his egg mixture. Gaius on the other hand is making a custard pie. Unlike Stahl, who is using premade dough, Gaius is making his from scratch. I only worry that his pastry might end up too sweet, being that his tongue has a high sweet tolerance."

"Tharja seems to be making an eggs benedict. The doneness of the poached egg, as well as the hollandaise sauce, will either make or break her dish. It seems she's also taking a few chances here. Although she's using breakfast muffins as the base, it seems she's grinding her own meat into a patty, versus using the more common ham or bacon. I missed the meat variety though."

"Bear."

"…Bear?" Frederick paled. "Y-you're jesting, right?"

"I am, yes. I think its venison; deer to be exact. I think she plans to cook the patties in bacon fat, to give it the pork taste."

Frederick nodded, composing himself again. "If she pulls this off, the dish should be fairly good."

Robin hummed. "Next we have Donnel, Kellam, and Ricken; all are making an everyday breakfast; eggs scrambled, sunny-side, and etc. The three seem to be dealing with the sides right now; toast, meats, or cutting fruits. However, they'll need to elevate their dishes if they wish to remain in the running."

"The last competitors are Vaike and Gregor. Vaike seems to be going for a breakfast casserole. He sliced his potatoes, and is currently boiling them. At his station, there also seems to be a tomato sauce cooking, and he's currently chopping onions and bell peppers for the casserole. If I'm correct, at his station, he also has ground meat of some type, either pork or beef, which he will hopefully brown before layering the casserole, and several cheeses. Gregor, unlike his competitors, is going for something non-breakfast. It seems to be an egg soup. Similar to Morgan, he's focusing on the broth at the moment; however, he also made egg noodles, and is prepping various vegetables and meats to probably add to the soup." The knight took a breath, a drink of a water, and turned to Robin, "That's everyone, correct?"

"I believe so." She looked at the clock. "Forty minutes remaining." Their tablemates and Anna looked at them, stunned. "Did we say something wrong?" They shook their heads.

"Hey! You ready for judging?" Everyone turned, seeing the fiery-red Paladin standing before them. "Drink it while it's hot!" Following her statement, several more Annas, dressed in sleek white dress shirts, a black vest, and black slacks, served Sully's "drink." The judges stared at the offering before them. The liquid was still bubbling, but it was now a dark green. "Come on then!"

"…Before we…sample this, Sully." The tactician eyed the concoction warily. "What is it?"

"A protein shake, using eggs as the base."

"I…see…" The platinum grabbed a spoon, dunking it in the liquid. Pulling it out, the bowl of the spoon was gone.

"A hot protein shake?" Lucina looked warily at the contents.

"Yep!"

"…What's in it?" Frederick did his best to keep a straight face, but like the others on the table, he obviously had no urge to try it.

"Well, eggs, obviously; steak, liver, and bee larvae, for extra protein; vegetables like spinach, turnips, kale, potatoes, carrots, eggplants, onions, and dandelion greens; some apples and grapes for sweetness; banana for smoothness; and pepper for a kick!"

"Jalapeno?"

"Yah, and some cayenne, ghost chili, and black pepper."

"How…how did you prepare the…ingredients?" Olivia smiled, but it didn't carry to her eyes.

"Crushed everything myself, threw it into the pot, then when it was done, blended everything for good measure."

"Oh god-" Olivia stopped in the middle of the sentence, looking at Sully, who was obviously getting irritated. "Goody!" She picked up the mug, bringing it close enough to her mouth to drink, but quickly put it back down once she smelled the contents. The "shake" was indescribable…in a bad way. Imagine a Risen, garbage, and sulfur. Put that together, and the liquid still smelled one hundred…no, that wasn't right…two hundred times worse.

"Aren't you guys going to sample it?" Sully leaned on the table, where all the girls backed away. A vein on the red head's face looked ready to burst.

"One last question, Sully." Like Olivia, Robin was trying to hide behind Frederick; however, the tactician also had a hold on Chrom's cape. Lucina, on the other hand, was trying to disappear behind her father.

"Yah, what is it, Robby?" This made both dancer and tactician shirk further behind the Great Knight.

"Wh-why did you enter the competition? You and Donnel are already married…"

"It's a competition! How else am I supposed to show these men I'm the best!"

"F-fair enough…" The table became silent. Even some of the competitors looked over to the judges, waiting for them to taste whatever concoction Sully made. A minute went by with no movement or words exchanged; each judge waiting for the fool who would drink the swi…mixture first.

"Well! It's getting cold!" Some reason this made everyone look to Frederick, who was believed to be the oldest. Although the man had never been bested by Sully, and he was known to not have any fear, the brunet knew this liquid was **NOT** to be trifled with. Due to this, the knight was wary, even more wary then the day he, Chrom, and Lissa met Robin; and that was saying a lot.

"Enough of this!" Chrom pounded the table, standing, causing his chair, behind him, to topple. He grabbed the cup, letting the liquid pour into his mouth.

"Milord!"

"Chrom!"

"Father!"

Putting the cup down, the cobalt licked his lips. "Not ba-" Stopping in mid-sentence, his eyes glazed. He stumbled backwards, falling, but he was caught at the last instance by his daughter, before hitting the floor. The tactician, being an tactician, saw the man's health drop to one HP.

"MEDIC!"

This caused the room to panic; various nouns representing Chrom were shouted throughout the arena. Some of the contestants tried to make their way over, however, the Annas stopped them, telling the participants to keep cooking. Lissa and Sumia, both in the audience, came racing down; the cleric with staff in hand.

"Did you even try this before serving, Sully?"

"N-no…" An uncharacteristic stutter came from the knights lips. "Should I have?" The tactician could only stare at her blankly.

"Wh-what do we do now, Robin?" Olivia stood at the platinum's side, gripping her coat.

"…I-I don't know. Chrom should be fine with Lissa here, but should we even go on? What do you think, Fred-" The two girls turned to the Great Knight, who was staring blankly at his lord, muttering to himself. "Frederick?"

"…horri…liege…die…"

"Fre-Frederick?" Olivia lightly tapped the man.

"…humiliating…"

"Frederick?"

"…must…follow…"

"SNAP OUT OF IT!" With her hand, Robin smacked the dazed knight on the cheek, causing him to come out of his stupor, holding his face in confusion. "Better?" The brunet looked down at his lord again, biting his lip. "Seriously, Frederick! What's the matter?"

"I'm a horrible knight, allowing his liege to die in such a manner…"

"Frederick, he's not dead. He's doing fine, see. Lissa's taking care of him. There's even color in his cheeks."

"It's humiliating to allow milord to fall before myself! What kind of knight am I?"

"It's not your fault, Frederick. Chrom is the idiot who decided to drink that poisonous swill." The tactician turned quickly to Sully. "No offense, of course!" The Paladin grunted, but made no movement towards the platinum; she now knew it **was** poisonous swill.

"I must follow milord's actions! A knight, allowing his lord to die before himself is inexcusable!" He launched himself to his mug, which was still bubbling. The two girls grabbed his arms, holding him back for a second, at least.

"A little help here!" Sully made a move forward, but the brunet's motivation was too strong, knocking all three over. Rushing towards his drink, the mug jumped off the table just as he was about to grip it. The crazed Great Knight turned, seeing the tactician sprawled on the ground like the others, but with her Elwind open.

"Not on my watch!" He tsked, reaching for the other cups; however, all were blasted away before the man could even get close. The tactician sighed, "That should be-" Getting up, she stopped in mid-sentence, seeing Chrom's cup in the knight's grip. Damn! There was still some inside! "You idiot! Stop!" But, before the platinum could finish, the liquid was in Frederick's mouth. Instantly, the man's face showed the thought everyone else was thinking; he really should not have done that.

The brunet sat down, lowering the mug as well, cheeks still filled with the liquid, debating what to do; spit it out or swallow. His brain told him to spit it out, which was what any normal human being would do, but his training, his knowledge of being a gentlemen, told him that it was unbecoming and disrespectful to even thinking of such action. So, he sat there, debating. The taste was getting worse, not better. It wasn't even becoming palatable, like other foods do, over time.

"Spit it out, Frederick!"

He was shaking; it was becoming that unbearable. He felt Robin's fingers intertwine with his as she repeated her sentiment. With his left hand on the table, he hit it down once…twice…three times, then finally swallowed.

He took several deep breaths, but even then, his eyes started to glaze. "O-one…" He shakily said; even now, still trying to be a judge. "…Good…effort…Sully…" Like Chrom before him, he blacked out.

"Frederick!"

"That idiot…" Lissa mumbled, looking over from where she sat near her brother. "I'll be right there, Robin, once I get Chrom stabilized."

The tactician nodded, dropping the knight's hand. She shook her head, took a breath, then looked directly at Sully. "I'm sorry, Sully. Even if you paid me all the money in the world, I wouldn't drink your shake. I have to give you a zero."

"Z-zero from me as well…" Olivia said, still on the ground, slightly shaking from the previous scene. "If it creates a near-death experience like that, I won't drink it."

"Negative one-hundred!" Lucina shouted near Chrom, tears in her eyes. "You almost killed Father!"

Sully shirked from the younger lord's reaction. "I-I'm sorry…I didn't mean for this to happen."

"We know, Sully." Robin was gently patting the woman's back. "I'm sure Chrom doesn't blame you, and it might be best, for all of us, to just forget this whole experience." She led the Paladin away, pushing her towards her daughter, Kjelle, to get her into the audience section.

"Wh-what do we do now, Robin?"

"Well, we got the scores from everyone, except Chrom."

"Lucina's score will be zero, since we don't go lower than that on the ranking." They turned to host Anna, who smiled weakly. "Once we get Chrom's score, and the health returns to our two male judges, we'll continue forward."

"But, didn't this whole thing end horribly?"

"Still, don't want to ruin the dreams of these young men waiting, do you, Robin?" The platinum turned to see a few contestants finished cooking, waiting intently at their stations for Robin's reply. She looked at Chrom, who was now awake, whispering into Sumia's ear, and Frederick, who was now being healed/lectured by Lissa.

"I suppose I have no choice…"

"That's the spirit!"


End file.
